Inside Issue Forty, and alongside interviews with some of the most exciting new bands, you’ll find conversations with artists who’s relationship with So Young goes way back. Since disbanding Dead Pretties in 2017, Jacob Slater hasn’t stopped writing and performing. With new band, Wunderhorse, debut album, ‘Cub’ has been released to the world, and it feels like things are only just getting started. We catch up with Jacob on leaving school early, his deep respect for Fontaines D.C. and how Sinead O’Connor is the biggest punk out there. In New Orleans, new Rough Trade signings, Special Interest are gearing up to share ‘Endure’, their new album. Via zoom, with three quarters of the band, we delve into pushing forward, dance music, and how their music shouldn’t be perceived as activism. Staying stateside, Tacoma’s Enumclaw take our call for the second time. The “best band since Oasis” release debut album, ‘Save the Baby’ in October. They hope it’ll give them all they need to buy a van. We discuss their working class beginnings and the formation of the record inside. Back with the Rough Trade label, Gilla Band are preparing for the release of album three, ‘Most Normal’. Speaking with Dara and Alan, we learn of the influence that Missy Elliott had on their rehearsal motivation and how they strive to breathe intensity into the mundane. London’s PVA are going to release an album too. October sees the release of debut, ‘Blush’, a collection of songs which makes sense of the trio’s plethora of sounds and moods. We get pretty wholesome and put them on the spot to outline exactly what they appreciate most about each other.
Staying in the city, Hotel Lux are back. It’s true. Debut album ‘Hands Across the Creek’ will land in January next year and it’s been a long time coming. Following an offering of brownies, the band tell us about their relationship with producer Bill Ryder-Jones, getting out of a writing dry patch, and moving out of a scene and on with the times. Belfast born, London based, Piglet is the solo project of Charlie Loane. Tackling gender identity and mental health, the former Great Dad member speaks to us about escaping the bedroom studio and creating his new EP. Another solo project on our mind is Oscar Browne. Former member of Dead Pretties and current Broadside Hack, Oscar is finally making strides on his own. Following the release of single ‘Never Quite Right’ we meet to talk moving house, moving on from old bands and moving from punk rock to British Folk. Edinburgh newbies, No Windows, have just about left school. Forming through a shared willingness to cover Mac Demarco, the duo now create their layered dream pop with inspirations closer to Mazzy Star and Elliott Smith. We call for their first ever interview inside. We finish off this issue with two of our favourite new bands, Dog Race and Enola. Bedford’s Dog Race open up about losing members and triggering insomnia with a song about night terrors, and Melbourne’s Enola have Manchester roots, giving us the inside scoop on the influence of hearing Joy Division as an unborn child. Earlier this year, Graphic Designer, elahny was tasked with designing the sleeve for the first album on So Young Records, we dig in to the collaborative success story.
4 Hotel Lux Common Sense 7 Gilla Band Eight Fivers
37 Piglet it isn’t fair
13 Enumclaw Save The Baby
41 PVA Blush
18 Dog Race Terror
45 elahny Take Hold of Your Promise!
21 Wunderhorse Cub
50 ENOLA Strange Comfort
29 Left of the Dial So Young in Rotterdam
53 No Windows Shout
34 Special Interest Endure
58 Oscar Browne Never Quite Right
Appreciating the natural world is important when touring is such a big part of the job. And you’re joining Fontaines D.C. next month! In the past, you’ve praised Fontaines for their integrity as a rock group. What does it for you? Personally, I don’t believe a lot of the bands I see. There’s loads of great bands around, but I find that with many guitar bands, it’s a lot of noise. There’s a real intention behind what Fontaines are doing. Especially with their latest record – Grian’s totally found his subject matter. I feel like I’ve been given a window into his world, which doesn’t happen very often. It was those lyrics that initially caught me, but the music is very powerful too. You feel like you’re in the presence of something that matters – and that’s hard to do. They’re not trying to do that either, they naturally have this wonderful chemistry. More power to them. Instrumentally, there’s a certain drama that underlies it all. There’s something about them that makes you just listen. There’s a trust there. I remember my dad saying that with some artists, even if you don’t get what they’re doing initially, you’ll trust them to lead you down a path. Somewhere along the way you’ll get on board with it. Again, that’s difficult to do but Fontaines have done it. Thinking about life down the line, who would play you in a biopic? What about…maybe…umm…I’m so sorry I can’t. Now that you’ve acted before, you can play yourself? I’ll do an Eminem in 8 Mile. When you watch that film, you don’t think of him as someone who ages. He looks the age he’s supposed to be. Like what sorcery is this? I’m definitely ageing already. Aren’t we all.
25
Wunderhorse
Rotterdam’s Left of the Dial festival is a little different. Concern for big headliners and ticket selling incentives is replaced with unmatchable passion to provide a platform
With a line up that includes fresh faces such as Teeth
for brand new bands. Pair that with their creativity to be
Machine, Lime Garden, HighSchool, Humour, 7ebra,
somewhere helpful and artist friendly (look up the Merch
DEADLETTER, Divorce, Gently Tender, Folly Group and
Church), it’s the breath of fresh air we possibly all need.
many more, Left of the Dial will be full to the brim with new sounds.
Eager never to repeat a line up, and hungry to give its punters multiple opportunities to catch their favourite
We are chuffed to have been invited to take over a stage
new bands, Rotterdam is the most exciting place to be this
this year and we can’t wait to see you at Rotown on
October.
Saturday 22nd October. Head to their pages to check out the full line up and grab your ticket.
29
Left of the Dial
You have a distinctive style, how did you reach this
Someone I discovered recently (by way of my mum) is
style?
Moki Cherry (Neneh Cherry’s mum) who made these amazing psychedelic tapestries as part of her and Don
Style is interesting because it’s usually something more
Cherry’s ‘Organic Music’ collaboration.
obvious to other people! I’m not sure how I would describe my style, but I’d say I’m drawn toward quite
What are you currently working on?
chaotic imagery with lots of colour. The Gently Tender project was a really interesting counterpoint to that, as I
Currently I’m working on the branding and web design
had to reign in my desire to keep adding things and instead
for a Glasgow-based art residency called ‘Gush’, which
allow the symbols to stand alone.
invites artists to make work around the theme of fandom.
Who are the designers and illustrators you admire
What can we expect from you in the near future?
most? I’ve recently started screen printing. I love the physical The designers I admire tend to cross disciplinary
process of it, which is very refreshing after working
boundaries. In terms of graphic designers, I’m a huge fan
behind a computer. I’m hoping to learn how to print on to
of Bráulio Amado; I love the way he creates imagery by
fabric next, so perhaps you can expect some t-shirts!
abstracting forms he finds irl, and his use of colour and hand lettering is very vivid and energetic.
47
Fabric Rings by Demonstrations
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48
I’ve never been to Melbourne — I would love to go.
You’ve kind of alluded that this is part of a bigger
I wanted to know about the scene in Melbourne. Are
project. Is there a good reason to be on the edge of our
you playing with bands that also take the influence
seats?
from artists like Joy Division and the 90s grunge of Nirvana? Or are you playing with bands that occupy a
The plan is, we’re just about to go on my first ever (sort
similar headspace?
of) tour. So we’re about to kick that off. And then when we come back, as I said, the album is done. And it’s been
Totally. There are pockets of more contemporary post
sitting there for a while. So I’ve been constantly writing
punk, noise and a bit of grunge. There are definitely those
and I’m feeling very creative at the moment. I’m planning
bands. But they’re few and far between. I’ve never been
on doing another few songs at the end of the year when we
to the UK, or Europe or really anywhere, so I don’t know
come back [from tour] and hitting the studio to do one or
what the scene is like there. But a lot of the bands that
two new tracks so I can put them on the album — so it’s
I’m really influenced by and I’m really looking towards
got a freshness to it. Then hopefully putting the album in
seem to be a more UK or European kind of thing. So we
the first three or four months of next year. I think we’re
do have bands like in that vein here, but they’re not as
really going to try and hit some bigger showcases, like
prominent. The garage rock and punk scene is really big,
The Great Escape and SXSW too. Obviously nothing’s
like the Amyl and the Sniffers sound is really big here.
locked in yet but it would be a dream to play them.
So what I’m making is not so drastically different that I can’t slot in on those bills. We’re all friends and the scene
It feels like ENOLA is on the cusp of something big…
is amazing. I wouldn’t say what I’m making is hugely popular here, but it’s not so wildly different that I can’t
That’s the unofficial plan. I live for this —this
slot in quite comfortably.
is everything I like. I’m sober, and I train like a motherfucker. I used to be a boxer and everything I
So it’s kind of against the grain, but you believe in it
do, I try to be the best artist I can be, you know? I feel
enough. You’re gonna make it happen.
like it’s an honour to be onstage and I just want to give people something. I’m training like six days a week on
That’s the thing. I’m getting probably the most response
the Stairmaster just sweating, and all I’m thinking about,
from the UK. I’m actually half English and I’ve never
honestly, is just trying to be a good artist, because it takes
been. My dad’s from Manchester and I’ve always had
a lot.
this really strong tie to that sound. You know, my dad left when I was really, really young. So I don’t really
Your live shows appear high energy, intense and feel as
have many experiences or interactions with him. But
if you’re part of something greater than yourself…
one positive thing I would say is that when I heard Joy Division later on in life as an adult, I had this nostalgic
R: When I’m on stage, I’m not going to walk off with an
feeling that it reminded me of my father. And that’s weird
ounce of energy left, I’m sort of desperate to move people
because I really don’t have many things associated with
in a way. So I don’t want to hide, I don’t want to be safe. I
my father. So I said to my mom, ‘this reminds me of him’
think in a broader sense, you ask yourself, ‘what can you
and she says, ‘that’s very surreal’, because your father
contribute?’ in your time here. Life is so short, and I don’t
used to play Joy Division to you constantly in the womb.
know what I can really contribute. But I think one thing
It’s his favourite band, he’s from Manchester and I think
would be to make something that moves someone in some
he was in a very similar area to Ian Curtis. There were a
way.
lot of parallels. Hopefully it’ll be coming to the UK sometime soon too. You’ve released ‘Strange Comfort’, which is a really brilliant song. It takes you on lots of little interesting
I hope so. I really hope so. I mean, it will, it will because
twists and turns.
it I just believe it will and I won’t stop until it comes into existence.
51
ENOLA
M: I can’t write lyrics for shit, so it feels natural for me
And I suppose with the dark, almost gothic theme in
just to focus on the music itself… Maybe one day we’ll
your music, it makes sense that you write separately.
switch things up but for now it fits together well. M: Yeah, that’s why we never write in the same room. The Would it be right to describe your lyrics as
writing stage is completely isolated from each other until
observational, Verity? Considering how young you still
we go to record it which we obviously do together. On the
are, I was amazed at how profound your words are.
EP, which is coming out towards the end of November,
What’s your secret? What informs you the most as a
I did all the production as well just in my bedroom. I’m
writer?
lucky because my dad is a music teacher and so all the equipment has always been around. If I’m working alone,
V: I read a lot. Most of the lyrics I write come from
it feels more authentic to the sort of music we want to
the process of looking into something deeply, like how
produce. I added a lot of atmospheric sounds as well like
a relationship between two people operates in a story.
birdsong which was important in establishing our specific
You’re not always going to find inspiration in your daily
sound.’
life, so I find it productive to read and find stuff to write about from books. I recently read Daniel Keyes’ ‘Flowers
As there are only two of you, how do you translate the
for Algernon’ which had an intense effect on me.
studio sound into the live performance?
And what about music?
V: So for a couple of shows we’ve done acoustic renditions with just the two of us. But we also sometimes
V: I listen to a lot of 90s music which also informs what
play with a bassist and a drummer. Finding a drummer
I write about. Two artists who I love are Fiona Apple and
was the most recent thing we did and was also what we
Mazzy Star. Female vocalists have always made a big
felt previously was missing the most from the live set up.
impression on me – these two especially because their
Because I’ve been singing at open mic nights since I was
lyrics are so strong and empowering.
a kid, I just love performing live. As I said before I’ve always been strangely focussed on music!
I can definitely hear a lot of Mazzy Star in your music. How about you Morgan?
I think mostly because there is an obvious contrast between your beautiful voice Verity and your more distorted guitar sound, Morgan.
M: All my live experience when I was younger came from playing battle of the bands at school, which was all with
M: I like to keep it quite dark. The first person who I pay
Verity. Technically we’ve been playing live for 4 years
the most attention to when it comes to songwriting is
or so, but never as No Windows until about a year ago.
Elliott Smith. I’m always coming back to him. He isn’t so
I’m always nervous even though I play it off like I’m not.
much of a sonic influence, as his stuff is very acoustic and
Luckily, I have a guitar to hide behind. If I didn’t have
that’s not the music we’re currently making, but when I
that I wouldn’t know where to put my hands!’
think about the core of a song, the chord progressions, the melodies etc, he is who I go to for inspiration. Like Verity,
V: I think the more shows we play the more comfortable
I’m also really into the 90’s thing. I suppose you call it
we’ll get. Recently I’ve been super confident on stage
grunge… If you take all of that, steer towards the right
mostly because I’m so familiar with the songs. Although
and spin around a few times, then I guess you’re left with
don’t expect any gaps between songs to be filled by
what we do!
talking… I hate speaking on stage!
A great analogy! I suppose sound and influence is never something you can pinpoint directly, but it feels like everything falls into place pretty naturally with the two of you. 55
N o iW n d o w s
Artists Editors Sam Ford
Josh Whettingsteel
Writers Sam Ford
Elvis Thirlwell Dan Pare
Will Macnab
Eve Boothroyd Poppy Richler Al Mills
Reuben Cross Dirk Baart
Josh Whettingsteel Alisdair Grice Leo Lawton
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Josh Whettingsteel Ant Hamlyn
Claudia Bernardi Yulia Drobova
Sophie Vallance Cantor Gavin Shepherdson
Taehyoung Jeon (Maria) Cameron JL West
Melcher Oosterman Julie Alex
Kalisha Quinlan Wei Wu
Pat Thomas Ying Zeng elahny
Spencer Gabor REN
Bradley Jones
Photos for Collage Alexis Gross Jody Evans Ed Miles
Colin Matsui Rory Barnes
Special Thanks Hedi Slimane Al Mills
Jamie Ford
Cameron JL West Jack Reynolds